Nearly 50,000 workers at General Motors in the United States are off the job.
Their union, the United Auto Workers, announced the strike late Sunday night.
At 11:59, UAW-GM workers began their strike. https://t.co/UljiErd7yN
— UAW (@UAW) September 16, 2019
Union leaders met Sunday morning after the 2015 collective bargaining agreement expired Saturday night and opted to strike at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
The United Auto Workers is calling on the Big 3 automakers to recognize sacrifices their members made to return the auto industry to profitability. It said the strike is to ensure fair wages, affordable healthcare, job security, and what it calls "a defined path to permanent seniority for temps."
UAW Vice President Terry Dittes notified GM Saturday it would not extend the collective bargaining agreement.
"We stood up for General Motors when they needed us most. Now we are standing together in unity and solidarity for our members, their families, and the communities where we work and live," said Dittes.